Dorothy FarrarVocal cord paralysis
In vocal cord paralysis, hoarseness or voicelessness is the leading symptom. Most often, the phenomenon is caused by the laryngeal reccurens nerve, which is responsible for the movements of the laryngeal muscles. The nerve can only fulfil this task to a limited extent, for example in inflammation, tumors or adjacent aneurysms.
What is vocal cord paralysis?
Vocal cord paralysis is a functional impairment of the laryngeal muscles. Especially the vocal muscle is often involved in the paralysis. This muscle determines the tension of the vocal cords. Thus, the voice is either disturbed or completely absent in the phenomenon. Medicine also refers to vocal cord paralysis as recurrent paresis, as it affects the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Paralysis is either unilateral or bilateral and differs symptomatically in these two forms.
Causes
The cause of vocal cord paralysis is often not in the vocal cords themselves, but in the thyroid gland. Damage to the recurrence in this area can lead to a disturbance in the impulse conduction, which prevents the movements of the laryngeal muscles. Other diseases of the thyroid gland and chest can also affect the nerve. These include, for example, benign and malignant tumors in the upper chest area and the thyroid region.However, a bulging of the carotid artery can just as well cause vocal cord paralysis. Such sacs are also referred to as aortic aneurysms and are usually accompanied by coughing and swallowing difficulties as well as shortness of breath. As an actual disease of recurrence, nerve inflammation can also trigger vocal cord paralysis. Inflammation can irreversibly damage the affected tissue and is therefore a relatively lengthy affair.
Symptoms and course
Typical symptoms of vocal cord paralysis:
- Voicelessness
In vocal cord paralysis, the voice either stops completely or at least changes extremely in the direction of a hoarse sound. In addition to this hoarseness, shortness of breath with abnormal breathing sounds is a common symptom of paralysis. The degree of hoarseness usually depends on whether unilateral or bilateral paralysis is present. The shortness of breath and the conspicuous breathing sounds are more likely to be assigned to bilateral paralysis as symptoms.
Irritable cough and difficulty swallowing can be additional symptoms in both forms. Depending on the cause, vocal cord paralysis can also cause fever. This is especially true for paralysis caused by inflammation. The paralysis of the vocal cords does not usually cause any pain, but it can cause slight discomfort in this area if the recurrent nerves are actually damaged.
Diagnosis
The first suspicion of a recurrent nerve palsy develops in the Anamnesis on the basis of the symptoms described and the general hoarseness. In order to secure the suspected diagnosis of vocal cord paralysis, the doctor carries out a laryngeal endoscopy after the anamnesis. In addition, an EMG can be ordered, which shows the activity of the inner muscles in the area of the larynx. These tests allow the doctor to distinguish between unilateral and bilateral paralysis. Paralysis of the vocal cords without actual damage to the recurrent ventricle generally has a better prognosis.
treatment and therapy
The causal therapy of vocal cord paralysis is of primary importance in the case of tumors and Aneurysms . Tumors are surgically removed as completely as possible and, if necessary, subsequently irradiated to prevent recurrences. Aneurysms may require the placement of a stent. Smaller aneurysms are usually not treated with a stent, but with the administration of Beta-Blockers , which serve to maintain a constant blood pressure.
Inflammation of the recurrent veins must also be treated causally. This treatment usually corresponds to the administration of Anti-inflammatory drugs . However, treating the cause does not automatically eliminate the symptom of vocal cord paralysis. Symptomatically different therapies are available for the bilateral variant of the paralysis than for the unilateral form.
If only one side is affected, voice training by a speech therapist, for example, can promise improvement. With the help of targeted training units, the vocal cords are aligned in such a way that the patient regains voice. The fibers of the recurrent nerve can also be stimulated by Electrotherapy . Since there is usually shortness of breath in the case of bilateral paralysis of the vocal cords, the first thing to do in this case is to deal with the breathing difficulties.
If the glottis is extremely restricted, a tracheostomy is done. During this procedure, the doctor opens the trachea under the larynx and in this way provides the patient with a hole that can be used for breathing. An operation date for vocal cord correction is agreed. If voice formation is not satisfactory after this surgical procedure, vocal cord implants can offer a promising solution to the problem.
Prevention
Vocal cord paralysis can hardly be prevented. The regular examination by the otolaryngologist can be interpreted to a certain extent as a preventive measure, since abnormalities in the area of recurrence can be detected so early, even before they trigger vocal cord paralysis. Carcinogenic changes in particular can usually be detected at an early stage by regular check-ups and, if necessary, treated in good time.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.